Excerpt from By My Spirit

It has been our intention to write about the star, the lampstand and the ‘power of a lampstand church’ for some time. We adopted this biblical term ‘lampstand’ some years ago, to describe the structure and mode within our fellowship of churches.

For more than thirty years, the call to return to ‘first love’ has been resting upon us. It is as current today as it was then. Historically, our focus was towards the communion and the multiple eldership needs of a local city-church. However, the word on first love highlighted the fallen condition of church leadership, in the broadest sense, and the need to repent and remember from where we have fallen. In our own fellowship of churches, the consideration of the angelos star has highlighted the leaven of collegiality, divisions and partiality brought with the mergers.

Against this historic background, we began to look more at defining a lampstand in terms of genuine relational connection, and viable fellowship. Hence, the words of John, ‘What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ’. When John spoke of ‘us’, he was referring to the angelos star, the corporate messenger.

The mystery of the seven star administration has not been easily understood among us. Neither has it been easily understood that Christ Himself is walking among the lampstands with seven dispositions to bring restoration to the lampstand churches. He is the Apostle and High Priest of this lampstand confession and proclamation. As the Apostle, He is sending the star messengers, and as our High Priest, He is walking among the lampstands. He is calling us to walk with Him in white and share His priesthood. As a kingdom of priests, we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, bringing acceptable offering. In so doing, we participate in the offering of Christ.